I'm a pool manager in NJ who is taking over some pools with problems. Both pools have Hayward sand filters. The sand for both pools hasn't been changed in 6+ years. There may also be broken laterals.
Pool A
I found that Pool A's filter reeks inside after opening it up and I can even see old paint chips inside on top of the sand. It has air leaking in somewhere in one of the skimmer lines before the pump, I don't know where the leak is yet, but I am able to isolate it and cut off that line and have read through the "Suction Side Air Leak" section in pool school, and I want to try those methods as soon as I can. It also has a damaged skimmer fitting that was leaking water out that I sealed with pool putty.
Pool A also wasn't painted properly so the paint is very gooey in some spots. It probably also needs a new spider gasket, but I haven't checked yet. Pool A is an old concrete slab pool the age of which I do not know, but it could be 40+. It is surrounded by concrete sidewalks and all the pipes leading to the filter, (which is indoors and also has concrete under it), are under those sidewalks. It may also need its discharge pipe rerouted.
I've been told that in order to fix the skimmer fitting that I sealed with pool putty, I'll need to have somebody take a jackhammer to the sidewalk to take out the old fitting and put a new one in. Then I'd need to replace that sidewalk section. Needless to say, that sounds very expensive. As of right now, there is no leak, the putty has sealed it. Do I really need to jackhammer that out, or can I just trust the putty to do the job and replace the putty if needed, or is there another option? I've also been told I need to sand blast all the paint off, (also expensive), before repainting it. Is that necessary? I was thinking of power-washing and then painting.
Pool B
Pool B is a plaster pool that is not painted, it gets stains from plant matter, possibly metal stains, and in spots where people walk their feet can blister or cut. It has a discharge line that needs to be rerouted, but it can be done without digging up the old one, it can be severed and rerouted near the filter. The pool is about 10 years old.
So, all of this is going to cost money and/or time. I would appreciate any advice concerning these issues.
Finally, I read through the "Pool School" section on this website a few weeks back, and I just wanted to say, thank you. Reading through that taught me so much more than the CPO course I took, and following that section has saved us a whole bunch of money by not using chemicals we didn't need. The part about the relationship between CYA and the chlorine levels was also very helpful.
Pool A
I found that Pool A's filter reeks inside after opening it up and I can even see old paint chips inside on top of the sand. It has air leaking in somewhere in one of the skimmer lines before the pump, I don't know where the leak is yet, but I am able to isolate it and cut off that line and have read through the "Suction Side Air Leak" section in pool school, and I want to try those methods as soon as I can. It also has a damaged skimmer fitting that was leaking water out that I sealed with pool putty.
Pool A also wasn't painted properly so the paint is very gooey in some spots. It probably also needs a new spider gasket, but I haven't checked yet. Pool A is an old concrete slab pool the age of which I do not know, but it could be 40+. It is surrounded by concrete sidewalks and all the pipes leading to the filter, (which is indoors and also has concrete under it), are under those sidewalks. It may also need its discharge pipe rerouted.
I've been told that in order to fix the skimmer fitting that I sealed with pool putty, I'll need to have somebody take a jackhammer to the sidewalk to take out the old fitting and put a new one in. Then I'd need to replace that sidewalk section. Needless to say, that sounds very expensive. As of right now, there is no leak, the putty has sealed it. Do I really need to jackhammer that out, or can I just trust the putty to do the job and replace the putty if needed, or is there another option? I've also been told I need to sand blast all the paint off, (also expensive), before repainting it. Is that necessary? I was thinking of power-washing and then painting.
Pool B
Pool B is a plaster pool that is not painted, it gets stains from plant matter, possibly metal stains, and in spots where people walk their feet can blister or cut. It has a discharge line that needs to be rerouted, but it can be done without digging up the old one, it can be severed and rerouted near the filter. The pool is about 10 years old.
So, all of this is going to cost money and/or time. I would appreciate any advice concerning these issues.
Finally, I read through the "Pool School" section on this website a few weeks back, and I just wanted to say, thank you. Reading through that taught me so much more than the CPO course I took, and following that section has saved us a whole bunch of money by not using chemicals we didn't need. The part about the relationship between CYA and the chlorine levels was also very helpful.
